“It’s everybody’s dream,” WNBA star Angel Reese described of playing in the Olympics. “You want to play for your country. I think 2028 is really important because you get to play in your country and play in LA.”
For Reese, the Olympic Games Paris 2024 offered a glimpse into a future she is now determined to write for herself. After watching from the sidelines as Team USA secured its eighth consecutive gold medal, 23-year-old Reese left France with a singular focus: ensuring she’s on the court when the world descends on Los Angeles for the Olympic Games in 2028.
Now, that journey has officially begun.
While most players use the WNBA offseason for rest, Reese has opted for a different path. For her, the quest for gold inspired her to turn her focus to Team USA.
Don’t Miss the action before Milano Cortina 2026 🏂 See it your way with news, results, stream live sports and award-winning documentaries. All with a FREE Olympic Membership. Sign up now 🥇
Angel Reese focused on Team USA
“All I wanted to do this offseason was play USA basketball,” Reese told Olympics.com. “This is what I decided to do, so I’m going to maximise my moment here.”
She was recently selected as one of 18 top players to participate in the U.S. Women’s senior national team training camp at Duke University, along with fellow WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.
The Baltimore, Maryland, native is no stranger to the spotlight after leading Louisiana State University past Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes to claim the 2023 NCAA championship. 
Selected seventh overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, she quickly established herself as one of the faces of the WNBA.
Over the course of the past two seasons in the WNBA, she has the stats to back it up. She is averaging a double-double in her career, 18.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. In her rookie season, she set the record for rebounds, was named a WNBA All-Star, and earned All-Rookie honors.
LA28 would be her first time competing on the Olympic stage.
Ten of the 18 players made their senior national team debut in Durham, North Carolina, including Reese, Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson, JuJu Watkins, Lauren Betts, and KiKi Iriafen. The young core signals a definitive changing of the guard for a program that has defined global dominance for decades.
“They didn’t just select us for no reason,” Reese said about the disproportionate amount of young talent that took over training camp. “They know that we can bring something to the table.”
That commitment is more than just talk. The road to LA28 is long, but for Reese, the destination is clear:Â Keeping the gold at home.
